World Tourism Day (WTD) is celebrated every year on September 27 highlighting the social, cultural, and political values​​ and the importance of tourism globally. WTD 2014 is being held under the theme Tourism and Community Development - focusing on the ability of tourism to empower people and provide them with skills to achieve change in their local communities.

 

“Tourism is a people-based economic activity built on social interaction, and as such can only prosper if it engages the local population by contributing to social values such as participation, education and enhanced local governance. At the same time, there can be no real tourism development if such development damages in any way the values and the culture of host communities or if the socio-economic benefits generated by the tourism sector do not trickle down to the community level.” – UNWTO Secretary–general Taleb Rifai stated in his message on the occasion.

In Serbia, NTOS traditionally hosts an annual tourism awards ceremony – The Tourism Flower, the highest national award in the field of tourism. Additionally, winners of the first national competition for the European Destinations of Excellence (EDEN) will be awarded. This year’s ceremony will be held in the Belgrade Waterfront gallery.